


Insomnia

by 5homosonstairs



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, M/M, Sleepiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-06
Updated: 2012-11-06
Packaged: 2017-11-18 02:23:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/555822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5homosonstairs/pseuds/5homosonstairs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Liam and Danielle break up, Liam has trouble sleeping at night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Insomnia

Liam didn't enjoy sleeping alone. That was probably one of the worst things about breaking up with Danielle. He still loved the girl to death and missed her greatly, but he thinks me missed waking up in the morning curled around a warm body the most. He missed the sound of light breathing beside him when he woke up first. He missed the light yawn Danielle would let out when she woke up shortly after him. He especially missed the light kisses he received from the smiling girl when she saw that he was already awake.

About a week after he and Danielle broke up, Liam realized that he had serious trouble sleeping without a warm body to hold. He found it harder to get to sleep, and on the rare occasions that he'd actually drift off, he'd wake up an hour or two later, cold and alone.

The other boys began taking notice when Liam's lack of sleep began effecting his mood and actions. He went out and partied with Andy more often and began showing up for work late and hungover. Harry was the first to call Liam out on his recent actions when Liam showed up to work with a buzz cut.

"Are you sure you're okay, mate?" Harry asked Liam as they sat down for their first interview since the break up. Liam looked at the younger boy with tired eyes and a fake smile plastered on his face.

"I'm okay, Haz." Liam replied. He felt a hand touch the top of his head and turned around to see Louis sitting behind him. Liam smiled weakly as Louis rubbed the younger boy's head again.

"I kinda like it." Louis said with a grin. The others agreed, but the interviewer was shocked by the change when she walked in.

Liam wanted nothing more than to curl up beside Danielle and hold her and cry himself to sleep when the interviewer brought up who had girlfriends. Zayn quickly threw his arm around Liam and managed to change the subject.

When they left the interview, Harry offered to drive Liam home. On the way to Liam's apartment, HArry asked again if Liam was okay.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired." Liam replied this time, earning a gentle shoulder rub from Harry.

Liam had been home and alone, just watching TV lazily, for about an hour when there was a knock at the door. He went to answer it and was greeted by a smiling Irishman carrying a bag of takeout Chinese containers in one hand and a bag of movies in the other.

"Harry told me you were tired, and you looked sad at the interview, so I'm here to feed you and cheer you up." Liam stepped aside and let Niall in. "I'm hoping the Chinese food will sedate you." Niall winked and Liam found himself chuckling for the first time in a week.

The two sat on Liam's couch, at all of the food Niall brought, and watched two comedy films before Niall decided that it was time to go home and go to bed.

"It's nice to see you smile, Li." Niall said to the older boy, pulling him into a hug before leaving Liam alone once again. Liam cleaned up the mess he and Niall made and went to take a warm shower. He laid in bed when the clock read midnight and tossed and turned until three a.m., when he finally fell asleep. 

He woke up multiple times and just decided to get up and get dressed at nine. He knew that they all had two days off before having to go to work again, so Liam made a cup of tea and sat watching TV until noon when there was another knock at his door. When he answered, he was instantly pulled into a hug by a slightly shorter boy.

"Let's go do something crazy." Louis said as he released Liam from his embrace.

"Like what?" Liam asked, leaving Louis into his apartment and offering him a cup of tea, which Louis politely declined.

"Let's go get tattoos." Louis replied excitedly. Liam's eyes grew wide and he shook his head.

"You're crazy."

"Maybe I am, but it'll be fun." Sure enough, an hour later, Liam was being dragged into a tattoo parlor by Louis and the two boys were inked.

"You're actually right. That was fun." Liam told Louis as they both got situated in the older boy's car. Liam looked down at the bandage on his ankle and glanced at the matching one on Louis' ankle.

"I told you. Now let's go show the lads our new tattoos. I bet they'll be shocked." Louis wagged his eyebrows at Liam as they began driving to Harry's place where Louis knew everyone was hanging out. They pulled up to Harry's flat a few minute later and went to greet the other boys.

Out of the three, Zayn was the most shocked to find out that Liam had let Louis talk him into getting a tattoo.

"Are you really okay? This isn't you, mate." Zayn asked with a hand on Liam's shoulder. Liam let out a yawn and a shrug.

"I've always liked tattoos." Liam gestured to the ink littering Zayn's arm. "I never thought I'd get one, but what do you know? Louis is a master of persuasion." Zayn sighed and shook his head.

The five of them spent the next few hours laughing and eating and talking until Louis yawned and told everyone that he was going to bed. Liam said goodbye to the other three boys before following Louis out to his car.

"Today's been fun." Liam said softly once he and Louis were alone in the confines of Louis' car. The older boy smiled and patted Liam's knee fondly. 

"Try to get some sleep, yeah?" Louis said as he pulled up to Liam's building. Liam nodded, and the two parted ways.

Back in his apartment, Liam got into his pajamas, rubbed some ointment on his new ink, and climbed into bed with a yawn. He fell asleep quickly for the first time in a week and a half.

Liam awoke in a cold sweat when the clock read twelve-thirty a.m. He sat up in bed and put his head in his hands, sobbing silently into his palms. He ran his hand through the fuzz on his head and stood up, heading for the kitchen to prepare a kettle of tea. After drinking the entire pot, Liam laid his head down on the table and sat like that until his neck and back were aching. He got up and made his way back to his bedroom to try lying down again. He stared at the ceiling for a while before turning over and attempting to suffocate himself with his pillow.

A few hours later, Liam's alarm went off and he groaned loudly. It was eleven thirty when Liam got out of bed for the final time. He went into his bathroom and turned the shower on, making it comfortably warm and stood under the stream until there was no hot water left. Liam threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and stood staring at himself in the mirror. He looked almost deathly ill. He had obvious dark circles under his eyes and looked as if he had managed to lose some weight. Liam sighed and went to sit on his sofa and mindlessly watch TV until six-thirty, when there was another knock on his door. Liam got up, yawned, and made his way over to the door.

"Bloody hell, Liam." Zayn said with wide eyes when the younger boy opened the door. Liam stepped aside to let Zayn in and shut the door behind him. "When was the last time you slept properly?"

"When did Danielle and I break up?" Liam retorted as he got pulled into a hug.

"This isn't healthy, Liam. Look at you." Zayn whispered ito Liam's ear. Liam buried his face where Zayn's neck met his shoulder and let out a small sob.

"I can't help it. I just haven't been able to sleep." Liam sniffled and Zayn began rubbing patterns on Liam's back.

"Come on, I'm gonna make you food and then you're getting some sleep." Zayn said, releasing Liam and taking his hand. Liam wiped his eyes with his free hand and allowed Zayn to drag him into the kitchen. Liam watched silently from the breakfast bar as Zayn made tea and heated up a frozen lasagna he found in Liam's freezer.

The boys ate in front of the TV. Liam snuggled himself comfortably into Zayn's side as they both shoveled pasta into their mouths. Liam found himself enjoying the way Zayn moved as he laughed at the show they were watching. After all of the tea and the entire lasagna were gone and the trash was taken care of, Zayn pulled Liam towards the bedroom.

"Why haven't you been able to sleep? Do you know?" Zayn asked as Liam removed his shirt and slid underneath his duvet. Liam felt his breath hitch when Zayn sat on the edge of the bed and started rubbing his shoulder soothingly.

"I can't sleep alone." Liam muttered softly. He felt Zayn stop rubbing his shoulder, and Liam began to panic slightly when he felt the bed shift and could no longer feel Zayn with him. Liam closed his eyes and tried to forget that he had said what he did when he felt the duvet move and the bed shift again. He opened his eyes and was met with Zayn's golden brown ones. Zayn covered himself and smiled at Liam as he snuggled closer to the younger man, snaking an arm around the tired boy's waist.

"I'm going to help you sleep." Zayn whispered, moving impossibly closer to Liam so Liam could feel Zayn's warm skin against his own skin. Zayn pressed his forehead against Liam's and leaned forward a fraction of an inch to press a soft kiss against the younger man's tired lips.

"Goodnight, Li." Zayn whispered as Liam felt himself drift off.

*****

Liam woke up with his arm around a solid object, his chest pressed against something warm, and his legs tangled with things that felt oddly leg shaped. He was confused for a moment until he opened his eyes and saw the back of Zayn's messy hair. Liam smiled when he noticed the sun streaming through the blinds on his window. He tightened his grip on Zayn's waist and nuzzled his nose in the older boy's hair before dozing off once more, feeling happy and fully rested for the first time in weeks.

**Author's Note:**

> I got some serious post-Payzer Ziam feels during detention one day, haha. Please leave kudos or a comment if you enjoyed~ :)  
> -Emily


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